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A CEO
who remembers her roots
Dr Thandeka Ellenson is young, kind, respectful and brilliant. Her character
has not been changed by the accolades she has gained over the last two
decades. This year she graduated from Columbia Southern University
(USA) with a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and just last
year, she was confirmed as CEO of the Moses Kotane Institute (MKI)
in Durban. MKI is an entity of KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN’s) Department
of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs
and it focuses on research and development to drive innovation,
technology and economic development in KZN.
D
r Ellenson has always been determined not to
disappoint her grandmother and her mother, the
two women who instilled the values that she has
always upheld. These are respect (and self-respect),
altruism and integrity, and they have been the cornerstone of
her success. Each time Ellenson succeeds, she remembers
her roots – her family and her
alma mater
, MUT, where she
started her career. Whenever she moves into a new position,
she carries the heart of MUT with her. When took her next job
at UKZN she would always channel opportunities to MUT. This
continued even when she moved to the Construction Industry
Development Board (CIDB) where she opened construction
opportunities to MUT graduates. At the South African Sugar
Association (SASA) she went on to spearhead collaborations
between MUT and SASA, resulting in SASA bursaries being
offered at MUT and a support programme being kickstarted
for the Department of Community Extension.
Thandeka’s current flagship collaboration with MUT
culminated in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) being
signed between MUT and MKI. This collaboration will
hopefully facilitate more engagement for MUT in innovation,
research and development work, and assist us in playing a
pivotal role in shaping the KZN economy. But that is not all. “If
I had my way in curriculum development, I would like to see
MUT consider introducing a qualification in maritime studies.
It cannot be that being so close to the sea, we do not have a
qualification in maritime studies,” she lamented.
“My journey has not been a straight journey. It has been a
meandering one albeit with an intention of finding myself. As
a learner at Ongoye High School, my dream was to study
for a qualification in chemistry or chemical engineering.
However, my arrival at MUT showed me that there are other
options in the business sciences. I studied for a National
Diploma in Human Resources Management and I was just
drawn into business science. I never looked back and tackled
the most feared qualification – the MBA. When I succeeded
there, I knew that I was crafted for the business world and I
embraced everything that I had learned in different business
units where I had worked. That has come in handy and I
believe that this was to prepare me for the position that I now
hold,” Ellenson said.
Dr Ellenson finds inner peace in reading, listening to music
and watching comedy. Her personal development journey
included reading both the Bible and the Quran. She is well
travelled and seems drawn to the Asian countries, especially
Hong Kong and Shanghai. “I love the fact that these cities
are open 24/7 and this gives me time to relax and not rush
because the city is shutting down for the day,” she said.
“Imfundo ayikhulelwa – you can still learn more regardless of your age.”
“The youth needs to consider delving into the digital economy. That is the future.”
She has two key messages for MUT students:
M U T A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E
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